April 24th, 2015
Why Do We Need an Alternate Vision
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We have listened and we have heard you…
Trevista wants -- stability, preservation of culture, to be considered and included in
decisions which directly affect them, to stay at their neighborhood school, and they
would like to grow the school
DMHS wants a stable building, would like to be in North Denver, and work with the
neighborhood
Denver-Online wants stability in their location and a central location.
DPS’ plan is focused on segregation
Segregation is bad for kids
We have talked and listened to our neighborhood for many years, and a majority of
people want Smedley as our neighborhood elementary school
We have heard time and again that parents want quality neighborhood schools that
they can walk their kids to
Every parent wants the same thing for their child -- The best possible educational
opportunities
DPS’s current plan is bad for the whole of NW Denver
o An elementary school is located in a bldg originally designed as a middle
school, and a middle/high school is in a bldg designed for an elementary
school, underutilizing both buildings
o Trevista remains segregated
o Skinner becomes overcrowded, options significantly reduced from schools
such as Brown
o High-probability that Trevista will be co-located with another school, or moved
into another facility such as Remington
o It will create long-term frustration within Sunnyside, a neighborhood that has
been asking to keep or re-open Smedley as our neighborhood school since
2007
We need an option where NW Denver can support DMHS long term in a
location acceptable to the neighborhood, integrate Trevista, celebrate
Latino/Chicano culture, prevent overcrowded schools, and provide a wide
range of school choice in NW Denver.
Si Se Puede!
Alternate Vision in a Nutshell
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Move Trevista Elementary into Smedley, which can hold up to 550 students which is
right in-line with how many students Jesus would ideally like to have.
April 24th, 2015
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It’s centralized location would socio-economically desegregate the
neighborhood
It just makes sense -- put it back to what it was. Smedley is our neighborhood
elementary school.
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Skinner becomes the traditional neighborhood middle school for Trevista Boundary
o Immediately creating an integrated middle school for the Trevista area
o Create a bus route from Horace Mann to Skinner
o DMHS and Denver Online School move permanently into Horace Mann with
full support and commitment of the neighborhood
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Create a much needed, dual-language middle school at Horace Mann
o Would be fed by Sandoval, Valdez, and any Spanish speaking families from
other schools in NW Denver who choose a dual-language option
o Would reduce the long-term enrollment burden on Skinner, created by the
Trevista Middle School closure Provide a continuation of dual-language
education for many families in NW Denver
o Provide a proximal middle-school for Spanish speaking families in the Quigg
Newton neighborhood vicinity to replace the closed Trevista Middle School
with no need to cross Pecos, 38th or Federal, giving families a choice with
Trevista and Horace Mann to keep their children close to home in schools in
Sunnyside
Why are Dual-Language Options Important?
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Language is one of the most important ways to maintain a culture
o Latino/Chicano culture has been greatly affected by the realities of
gentrification
o Dual-language allows for Latino/Chicano culture to maintain a strong
presence in NW Denver
o Our neighborhood is bi-lingual, our school choices should reflect the
neighborhood
o Dual-language schools recognize Spanish speaking families as an asset
o Chicano history is a major part of Denver history and should be taught
Why are Dual-Language Options Important? (cont.)
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Dual-Language schools also benefit non-Latino English speaking students
o Numerous studies have shown the benefits of dual-language learning on
brain development
o Dual-language also helps develop a students appreciation for other cultures
o Bi-lingualism opens up future job opportunities
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A dual-language middle school co-locating with DMHS has many benefits
April 24th, 2015
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Provides a proximal middle-school for Spanish speaking families in the Quigg
Newton neighborhood vicinity to replace the closed Trevista Middle School
Could work with DMHS to provide Sandoval families continuation of both
Montessori and Spanish educations, providing DMHS more market value
Could be fed by Sandoval, Valdez, Bryant Webster, and any Spanish
speaking families
 Reducing the demand for space at Skinner, solving future
overcrowding issues with the closure of Trevista Middle School
Why is Desegregation Important?
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Income Mobility
o 2014 Harvard study on income mobility, defined as ability for families to move
out of poverty into middle class, concluded that segregation of the poor was
the biggest predictor of multi-generational poverty. Inversely, when the poor
are in close proximity to middle class, including integrated schools, families
move out of poverty within one generation
o When looking at the Trevista boundary map, one can notice that Trevista
boundaries include the lowest income areas of Sunnyside and Highland
o Trevista’s statistic of 97% free or reduced lunch indicates a high-probability of
multi-generational poverty
o Quigg Newton has one of the largest rates of multi-generational poverty in the
city
Let’s turn this statistic on its head by integrating our neighborhood school!!!!
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Equality
o For the 60 years since Brown v Board of Education ruling, we have known
that separate but equal is hardly ever equal.
o We see a dramatic difference in school funding through parent fundraising
efforts between integrated and non-integrated schools: Brown, Edison, and
Sandoval all raise over $50k a year in additional funding. This fundraising gap
provides an economic disadvantage. Colorado is 49 out of 50 in the nation for
per pupil funding.
Why does Sunnyside Need Smedley as an Elementary School?
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Its location -- center of the school boundary
o It provides equity to all the families by making it more equidistant to all of the
community
o A centralized school becomes both the geographic and cultural center for the
community helping the overall integration of the community
o Horace Mann is at the edge of the boundary: only 2 blocks to the east of the
school, but 22 blocks (1.8 miles) to the west
o When parents are faced with the prospect of driving, they consider other
options to which they can drive, some closer to their home
April 24th, 2015
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We can work with the city to provide better pedestrian crossings at Pecos
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We want to help TreVista grow their school and fill it. Moving to Smedley would be a
compelling reason for parents (who have heard repeatedly that they should consider
other school options) to give TreVista Elementary a chance
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Historical connection to the neighborhood
o Since 1902, Smedley has served as our walkable neighborhood school
o Generation after generation of Sunnysiders, aka Northsiders, aka
Highlanders went to elementary school at Smedley and would like their
offspring to go to school there
o During a time when a significant amount of neighborhood history disappears,
the neighborhood wants to hold on to what history we can
o The only reason it has been available for DMHS is because the neighborhood
fought off Strive’s attempt to make it a high school with the neighborhood
hoping to return Smedley as a neighborhood elementary— this is not a new
battle for Sunnyside
Our alternative vision will solve many of NW Denver’s school problems by integrating
Trevista, alleviating overcrowding at Skinner, providing DMHS and Denver Online w/a
longterm neighborhood supported location, and help to build NW Denver as a
community with high achieving school options for ALL.
It just makes sense, let’s move the elementary back to the elementary bldg, and the
middle/HS to Horace Mann.
THERE is NO downside!